D-Rays, Kazmir silence Boston

Kazmir (10-5) limited the Red Sox to a third-inning single by Alex Gonzalez until Manny Ramirez led off the ninth with a double to deep center field to give Boston only its third baserunner during the past six innings.

The 22-year-old left-hander, who's 3-1 in four starts against Boston this season, walked two and struck out 10, including Jason Varitek four times and Ramirez once to escape a bases loaded jam in the third.

Kazmir improved to 5-2 in 11 career starts against the Red Sox, who entered the game having won 14 of 15. He threw 120 pitches.

Ty Wigginton homered twice and Russell Branyan added a third home run off Josh Beckett (10-4), who allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings in his bid to become the American League's first 11-game winner.

ORIOLES 8, WHITE SOX 1

In Chicago, Erik Bedard allowed two hits in eight strong innings as Baltimore made the most of three Chicago errors during a four-run sixth inning to beat Chicago.

Miguel Tejada and Corey Patterson, in his return to Chicago after being traded from the Cubs in the off-season, homered in the seventh off reliever Brandon McCarthy to complete Baltimore's decisive victory.

The only run allowed by Bedard was Jermaine Dye's 21st homer, which snapped the left-hander's 17-inning scoreless streak. Bedard (9-6), who has won four consecutive starts, walked one and struck out seven. Dye also had a single in the fourth.

Freddy Garcia (10-5), who had also won three in a row coming into the game, gave up 10 hits in six innings and the Orioles pushed the action on the bases against the right-hander's deliberate delivery. Two of the six runs against him were unearned.

INDIANS 5, YANKEES 2

In Cleveland, rookie Jeremy Sowers wasn't shaken by New York's aura or powerful lineup and picked up his first career victory, pitching seven strong innings to lead Cleveland over New York.

Sowers (1-1), making his second major league start in front of the largest regular-season crowd at Jacobs Field in nearly six years (42,706), allowed a two-run homer to Jason Giambi in the first inning.

However, the 23-year-old left-hander shut down New York during the next six innings, mixing in some curves, sliders and changeups with a decent fastball to retire 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

Sowers allowed six hits, struck out four - Giambi twice - and had one intentional walk.

Todd Hollandsworth hit a two-run homer off Chien-Ming Wang (8-4) and Victor Martinez had two RBI for the Indians.

PIRATES 11, METS 1

In New York, All-Star Jason Bay drove in three runs and Paul Maholm held slumping New York in check for six innings, leading Pittsburgh to a rout.

Bay hit a two-run double in Pittsburgh's five-run seventh and Ronny Paulino and Nate McLouth hit back-to-back home runs to start the eighth for the Pirates.

Paulino finished with three hits, and the Pirates have scored 41 runs in their past five games.

The Mets put the leadoff hitter on in four innings against Maholm (3-7) but could only score one run against the left-hander, who struck out three and walked three.

BREWERS 8, REDS 7

In Milwaukee, Bill Hall homered and had four hits, and Carlos Lee singled home the winning run in the ninth inning as Milwaukee pulled off the final rally of a seesaw game.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 554th homer and added a go-ahead double off All-Star closer Derrick Turnbow in the top of the ninth, putting Cincinnati ahead 7-6. But winner Matt Wise (5-4) retired Austin Kearns with the bases loaded to end the inning, and Todd Coffey (3-3) failed to get an out in the bottom half.

NATIONALS 9, MARLINS 1

In Washington, Alfonso Soriano homered twice and drove in four runs and Pedro Astacio won his Washington debut.

Soriano led off the first inning with a homer and added a two-run shot in the fifth for his third multihomer game this season. Jose Guillen had a three-run drive in the fifth and Jose Vidro added three hits to help the Nationals win their third in a row.

Astacio (1-0), who missed the first three months of the season with a right forearm strain, allowed three hits in five innings, giving up his only run on Reggie Abercrombie's homer in the fifth.